Taipei: China is intensifying its ability to swiftly turn military exercises into a full-scale attack, according to a senior Taiwan security official. The official’s remarks offer a detailed assessment of China’s strategic objectives behind this week’s military drills around Taiwan.
China, which regards Taiwan as its territory, carried out large-scale military drills on Monday, framing them as a warning against “separatist acts” following Taiwan President Lai Ching-te’s national day speech last week.
For the past five years, Taiwan has frequently raised concerns about Chinese military activity near its territory, with at least four major rounds of war games and nearly daily “joint combat readiness patrols” by the Chinese military. The Taiwanese official, speaking anonymously, stated, “They are building up their capacity to transform military exercises into a conflict.”
Increased Chinese Military Presence
Taiwan reported an unprecedented 153 Chinese aircraft participated in the drills, along with 25 navy and coast guard vessels that approached Taiwan’s 24-mile (39-km) contiguous zone, the closest such proximity during recent exercises. The official added, “They approached very close to Taiwan, increasing pressure and reducing Taiwan’s response time. This drill posed a greater threat than ever before.”
The official also noted that China launched two missiles towards an unspecified inland area during the drills. “Although they did not fire missiles towards Taiwan, they practiced missile launches,” the official said, without providing further details. China’s defense ministry has yet to respond to requests for comment, though on Monday it vowed to take further action if needed. Meanwhile, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reiterated that Beijing would not renounce the use of force against Taiwan.
Taiwan’s intelligence reportedly detected signs of the drills in advance, allowing assets such as mobile missile launchers to be deployed before China’s official announcement of the war games early Monday.
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Persistent Military Pressure
In a separate report to parliament, Taiwan’s defense ministry disclosed that China holds three to four “joint combat readiness patrols” monthly around Taiwan, moves described as “provocations and increasing the threat to our military.” Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that China could initiate further drills “at any time and under any pretext,” reflecting China’s ongoing “hegemonic nature.”
Taiwan has already incorporated scenarios involving compressed response times in its annual Han Kuang war games, in anticipation of Chinese exercises suddenly escalating into a real attack.
A diplomat based in Taipei, familiar with regional security matters, described the situation as a “big threat,” emphasizing that China’s military drills have significantly enhanced its combat readiness. “Their state of readiness is increasingly high—they can shift from routine exercises to full-scale war very quickly,” the diplomat said, requesting anonymity.
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Historical Context and Public Reaction
Taiwan has lived under the threat of invasion since 1949 when the Republic of China government fled to the island after losing the civil war to Mao Zedong’s communists. Despite the ongoing military tensions, recent Chinese war games have not caused significant public alarm in Taiwan or affected its financial markets.
When asked by a lawmaker about the possibility of war with China, Taiwan’s central bank governor Yang Chin-long said the nation has “appropriate preparations” but did not elaborate further.
